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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. present — the time now
  3. field — farmland
  4. present — a gift
  5. object — to protest
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rule — a law
  9. field — a subject
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. field — for sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. branch — a division
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. staff — a stick
  17. object — an aim
  18. stand — to bear
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. object — a thing
  22. present — there
  23. staff — employees
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com